Rentals for Residents and Visitors at Hotel Del Coronado’s Del Beach

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The beach in front of the Hotel Del Coronado is often cited as one of the best in America by national publications. It’s easy to see why. With its soft break that’s perfect for boogie boarding kids, seemingly-endless white sand complete with gold sparkles (a mineral called mica is the reason), little tide pools and plenty of space, it’s one of the most popular in San Diego. The beach is another reason why guests choose the hotel, in addition to its Victorian elegance, of course.

Staying at Hotel Del Coronado is a treat and I say it with complete bias because I was married there. However, residents and nearby visitors have the luxury of enjoying Del Beach—a new addition to the luxury hotel’s offerings—just for the day. Tack on a spa treatment, dinner or even a s’more roasting and feel like you’re on vacation, even if you’re technically not.

Del Beach Rental Information

Use the Hotel Del Coronado self-parking (fee applies) or take advantage of free street parking. You’ll find the Del Beach information booth at the end of the walkway to the beach, just past the chef herb garden on the side of the Windsor Cottage. Del Beach rentals are available to the public as well as hotel guests! Because lounging space can’t be reserved in advance, your best bet is to arrive early. Del Beach hours are from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. throughout the year. Here are your rental options:

Luxury lounge chairs: The chairs recline fully and are quite comfortable. A towel to cover the chair and another for general use are included in your $20 per chair fee.

Cabanette: These include two of the above lounge chairs that are shaded by a striped canopy. A cabanette for the day will set you back $80. We enjoyed this setup but I recommend renting an umbrella, too.

Daybeds: Located in the front of Del Beach with a prime view of the ocean (pictured in the top photo), daybeds command $200 per day. Instead of two lounge chairs, you have a full bed spanning what appears to be the same width as a cabanette and covered by the same-sized canopy. However, the benefit is that there is no break between the lounge chairs, meaning that this set-up is best for parents with small kids in tow that might need to crawl around or snuggle mom and dad throughout the day. They are a tiny bit more elevated than the lounge chairs, however. The other upshot to these is that if the kids need to sprawl out on the sand, they have what feels like the entire beach to do so because no one is in front of you.

Umbrellas: These are $25 for the day and highly recommended in any set up unless you are comfortable with direct sun for long periods of time. The canopies on the daybeds and cabanettes are stationary so the shade provided moves depending on where the sun is. The good news is that these umbrellas are big, sturdy and worth the extra spend.

Beach butlers are on hand to guide guests to their Del Beach area. They will set up the lounge chairs, cabanettes and daybeds.

What to Bring to Del Beach

Unless you plan on renting a boogie board—which is up the walkway near the bike rentals on the other side of the main pool and not near the lounging area—bring your own, plus sand toys for the kids. Del Beach supplies towels and a nice towel cover for the lounge chairs or daybeds. You’ll need your basics like sunscreen, hats and kids gear. Speaking of kids, if they are in tow, I suggest snacks and drinks in case the servers are busy.

Food Service on Del Beach

We arrived around lunchtime when lunch and margaritas were in full swing. Within about five minutes of arrival to our cabanette, I was able to flag down a server and request a menu. He returned within a few minutes to take our order.

Now, we are used to luxury hotel pricing but I thought the menu was fairly priced. Most of the items are preassembled so that the servers can deliver them to you within about 10 minutes. I might caution that if the server mentions that they are waiting for the main kitchen to restock a particular item, it might be wise to choose something else. In our case, it took longer than expected but the homemade chips and guac and fruit sticks were worth the wait. My salad came out right away and I forgot to take a photo of it.

Snacks for the kids include popsicles and ice cream, ants on a log kit, pita chips and dip, the chips and guac and fruit sticks. The cocktail menu is quite extensive and I overheard plenty of guests place custom orders that the servers were able to accommodate with ease. Remember that alcohol on the beach is otherwise not allowed. Note that the only water option is bottled water, so bring your own if that bothers you.

Break Up the Day with a Spa Treatment

Your lounging space a Del Beach is yours until you tell them it’s no longer needed. Should you want to break for a bicycle ride down the boardwalk, some MooTime Creamery or a spa treatment, that’s totally fine.

Or, finish your beach day at the spa. My 7-year-old daughter and I enjoyed mother-daughter mani/pedis after the beach but a break for alone time in the spa lounging facilities seems heavenly.

Good to Know

The Coronado Beach is huge which means that since Del Beach is set back against the hotel, you can’t exactly eyeball the kids at the water’s edge. You might need to take some towels—maybe even a little beach chair that you bring from home—and park down near the ocean while they play.

Appropriate attire is required in the hotel’s public areas which means bathing suit cover-ups and shoes. Little foot washers are available to wash sandy feet. Unless you are headed in for a spa treatment (kids aren’t allowed in the spa changing areas), there isn’t a place at the hotel to shower off and change if you want to stay for dinner. You could do your best to de-sand and slip on some hotel attire to eat at the casual dining spots like Sun Deck Bar and Grill by the pool (the pool is for hotel guests only) or even the patio at ENO Wine Bar and Pizzeria. If you’re carrying a ton of gear, take it back to the car, however.

About Me

I'm Katie Dillon, a luxury travel writer and luxury hotel expert who lives in seaside La Jolla, CA. This is where I document my recent trips around the world, the latest San Diego happenings and other fun lifestyle topics. CST# 2011220-40

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